Synopsis: Hunger for nourishment. Hunger for touch. Hunger to belong. Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers. Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. he was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death. Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plants--and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grown closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?
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I devoured this book. Of the four currently out, I thought Marr did a wonderful job of making this one stand out the most. It was unique in the sense that she didn't stick with the lighter side of faerie. She went into the darker area, focusing more on Gabriel's Hounds and the High Queen's Bloodied Hands. And both sides are so different, yet the same. And she translated that into Ani (Gabriel's Hounds) and Devlin (the High Queen's Bloodied Hands).
Ani was a remarkable character who loves Irial, the former Dark King, and her court. She's attached to her older sister, Tish, and playful with her brother Rabbit. She's annoyed with her father, because he won't let her fight like she wants to. She wants to make him proud but feels she can't because he won't let her. She is a perfect character for the role that she unknowingly has to play in the coming faerie war. She was witty, funny, smart, and passionate.
Devlin was awesome. No word better could describe him. At first, he was pompous and proud and loved the way faerie's flinched whenever he drew knew. Being the Faerie Queen's Assassin isn't all it's cracked up to be, I suppose. But Ani to him is different. He reminds him of someone he knows, and with the help of his friend-in-Faerie Rae, he recognizes her and feels strangely attracted to her. Once the High Queen grants him permission to go into the human realm, he protects Ani instead of who he was meant to protect, who is Seth. And then the battles rage on, Devlin and Ani come closer together, and then they realize what's missing and return to save all of Faerie. That is until the next book, Darkest Mercy, which I can not wait for!
Over all, I loved this book. It was action-packed, witty, and it gave me a whole new look at Faerie. Albeit, the darker, more murderous side. Marr has created a unique tale that has stuck with me since I picked it up. Ani was a wonderful character, and I was happy where Marr placed her in the end. I loved the growth of Devlin in this story, and how he went from hating his feelings, to relishing them. It didn't focus on what other courts were doing, but instead gave the nitty-gritty on the other courts feelings of the impending war and their side of it. The best...so far!
The Cover: [I realized that I didn't have any comments on the covers, which are amazing! Well, some. But anyway, I will start commenting on the covers from now on.] I thought this cover was OK, but you didn't really get the tattoos lining her arm until the end. My vision of Ani doesn't look like the model, but I thought the lettering was beautiful. I love how they change the vines every cover to make the personality stand out more, and I thought this cover matched the books personality perfectly.
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